Franchise opportunities compared
Ace Hardware vs Just Between Friends
Reviewed figures from each brand's Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD), side by side. Each figure carries its FDD year and page. This is not a ranking or recommendation, and the two FDDs may cover different years and location groups.
Initial investment · Item 7
Ace Hardware
$134,600 – $2,001,550
2025 FDD · Item 7Just Between Friends
$67,365
2026 FDD · Item 7 · PDF p. 21Initial franchise fee · Item 5
Ace Hardware
Not available
Just Between Friends
$24,900
2026 FDD · Item 5 · PDF p. 12Royalty · Item 6
Ace Hardware
Not available
Just Between Friends
3%
2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 14Before you compare
- Ace Hardware figures come from its 2025 FDD and Just Between Friends figures from its 2026 FDD, so the years differ.
- Ace Hardware discloses more than one business format, so the investment range spans formats; the full report breaks them out.
- Item 19 figures cover the location groups each FDD names (Ace Hardware: 8, Just Between Friends: 12). Different groups are not directly comparable.
Financial commitment
Ace Hardware
Just Between FriendsAce Hardware
Just Between Friends
Ace Hardware
Just Between Friends
Ace Hardware
Just Between Friends
Ace Hardware
Just Between Friends
System scale & health
Ace HardwareJust Between FriendsAce Hardware
Just Between Friends
Ace Hardware
Just Between Friends
Ace Hardware
Just Between Friends
Ace Hardware
Just Between Friends
Ace Hardware
Just Between Friends
Financial performance (Item 19), by location group
Ace HardwareJust Between FriendsItem 19 groups are shown separately and never combined. Revenue or sales figures are not profit. Net outlet change and turnover are Franopolis calculations from the disclosed counts; turnover is a count-based rate, not a measure of owner earnings.
Ace Hardware vs Just Between Friends: common questions
- Which costs less to open, Ace Hardware or Just Between Friends?
- Ace Hardware: $134,600 – $2,001,550 (2025 FDD · Item 7); Just Between Friends: $67,365 (2026 FDD · Item 7 · PDF p. 21). These are each franchisor's Item 7 estimated initial investment. The low end of the disclosed estimate is lower for Just Between Friends. At least one range spans several business formats. Estimates are not quotes, and the FDD years may differ.
- Which has more locations, Ace Hardware or Just Between Friends?
- Ace Hardware: 5,144 (2025 FDD · Item 20 · PDF p. 74); Just Between Friends: 151 (2026 FDD · Item 20 · PDF p. 62). Total outlets from Item 20. Outlet counts do not indicate territory availability or franchisee results.
- Do Ace Hardware and Just Between Friends disclose financial performance (Item 19)?
- Ace Hardware has reviewed Item 19 figures for 8 location groups; Just Between Friends has reviewed Item 19 figures for 12 location groups. Different location groups are not directly comparable, and revenue is not profit.
Answers restate the reviewed figures above. Not a ranking or recommendation.
Keep researching
Full Ace Hardware report
Every reviewed fee, Item 19 group, outlet table and territory disclosure
Full Just Between Friends report
Every reviewed fee, Item 19 group, outlet table and territory disclosure
